Klopp and Co. Decamp to Barcelona

Coming off a bitter, unexpected defeat at the hands of Bournemouth that sees them fall four back of league leaders Chelsea, Liverpool have taken the chance to get away from Merseyside to prepare for a busy holiday run of fixtures they will likely need to win all of if they’re to keep pace and perhaps even close the gap.

With a full week to go until they face West Ham on Sunday, Jürgen Klopp’s side headed directly to the airport following Sunday’s defeat and flew to Barcelona for a mid-season training camp. Last season, Klopp used a similar break in order to take the team to Tenerife in March to re-focus during a busy run of fixtures.

Liverpool are expected to spend the next two days training outside of Barcelona at the warm weather mini-training camp before returning on Wednesday to prepare for West Ham. All of the club’s healthy first team players, as well as defender Joël Matip, are in Spain taking part—and looking to put Sunday behind them.

As disappointing as the result was, it was only Liverpool’s second defeat of the season. That those two defeats came against sides Liverpool fully expected to beat, though, makes it difficult to swallow. Especially when Chelsea spent the weekend dispatching Manchester City, continuing their scintillating run of form.

Up next for the Reds are a West Ham side that were hammered 5-1 by Arsenal over the weekend and who have not won in the league since October 22nd against Sunderland, and it is integral to Liverpool’s title hopes that they do not allow themselves to be the side that helps West Ham get their season back on track.